Although historically very abundant along the coasts of North America, the Surf Scoter was until recently a species we knew surprisingly little about. This talk will focus on recent findings, including satellite tracking of their movements, as well as their dependence on other marine species including eelgrass, herring, and gray whales. Like many marine animals and plants, numbers of Surf Scoters have declined dramatically. Accordingly, this talk will also review threats to Surf Scoters and other marine birds.